


Snapshot

by flyingfalconflower12



Series: Snapshot Stories [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Bloodline - Claudia Gray
Genre: 920-degree spin, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drinking, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, Making Out, Prompt stolen from Pinterest, Reylo - Freeform, Secret Relationship, Swearing, The Sheev Spin(TM), chapter titles are songs, finnrose - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-01-05 02:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18356630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingfalconflower12/pseuds/flyingfalconflower12
Summary: Rey Jakku and Ben Solo are two of the most famous actors in the US.  Having gotten their start from two rival movie companies, First Order Films and Resistance Entertainment, the competition between them is widely known.  Plus, as all celebrities' lives are, Rey's and Ben's are highly scrutinized, with paparazzi taking pictures and videos at every available moment.  But there's one thing the public doesn't know about Rey and Ben--they're dating!  When a blurry picture of them kissing in an alleyway goes viral on the Internet, Rey and Ben have to go to great lengths to keep their secret hidden--from the public and from their producers.





	1. i don’t belong in this club -why don't we, macklemore

It's the post-production celebration for his newest movie, _Monster_ , and famous actor Benjamin Solo's never felt more awkward in his life.

 

Well, if he's being honest with himself Ben never really feels at home during these kinds of parties, but this one's especially nerve-racking.

 

For one, it's at a club.  Ben's always hated those kinds of environments.  His mother, the famous actress Leia Organa, always said he was even more of an introvert than her hermit brother Luke Skywalker.  Luke starred in one famous nine-movie franchise, _Green Milk_ , and promptly fucked off to a dairy farm on a tiny island with a name Ben can't pronounce.

 

On the second hand, Ben doesn't dance.  So he's standing in a corner, sipping his drink, while watching his mildly-drunk costars jump around like small children who have been given too much sugar at a birthday party.

 

And third, Ben's secret girlfriend is standing right next to him, and neither of them is saying a word.  Rey Jakku, rising star famous for her movie  _I'm No-One,_  didn't have a main role in  _Monster_ , but her cameo was all over the news.  The director, to boost publicity, consequently invited her to the wrap party, despite her small role.  And now she's standing next to Ben, staring at the dance floor and rolling her eyes.

 

"Why did they have to pick  _rap_ music?" she complains to Ben.  "It's not even  _good_ rap music!"

 

"No idea.  You do know these parties  _always_ suck, right?"

 

Rey huffs indignantly.  "The one for _No-One_ wasn't as bad as  _this!_ "

 

"Probably true."  Ben lowers his voice, leaning a bit closer to Rey.  "Wanna get out of here?"

 

"Yeah," she mutters.  "Thirty minutes?  I'll 'go to the bathroom' at nine.  You can follow at nine-fifteen.  Sound good?"

 

Ben nods, smiling.  "Sounds like a plan."

 

* * *

 

A little over thirty minutes later, a much more drunken Ben has just narrowly escaped a group of paparazzi and is stumbling out the back door of the club.  He spots Rey standing in a dark alleyway across the street and, quickly looking to see if anybody's watching and deciding that nobody is, dashes to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

 

"I missed you," he whispers, kissing Rey.

 

"I missed you too," she mumbles against his lips, her fingertips digging into the back of his shirt.

 

He presses her against the wall, pulling her even closer to his chest.  He can't get enough of her, and in his tired, drunken haze, his feelings are even more heightened.  He thinks he hears her sigh but he's not sure.  Rey's hands find the back of Ben's neck, and she brings his face close to hers and kisses him again.

 

"I’m so glad we’re alone now," sighs Rey, curling her fingers in Ben's dark hair.  He's about to reply when he hears a louder sound.

 

_Click!_

 

The alleyway illuminates with a bright flash of light, and just like that, it's dark again.

 

Ben blinks, pushing away from Rey.  A sound of footsteps echoes as whoever was there runs off, and Ben takes a moment to process the sound and the light.

 

"A camera," breathes Rey.

 

Ben's eyes widen.

 

" _Shit._ "


	2. love story -taylor swift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben have some issues with the companies they have contracts with, Resistance Entertainment and First Order Films. A gossip magazine publishes a troubling article. Finn, Hux, and Snoke make their first appearances.

_“Rey!”_

 

Rey looks up as her friend, Finn, another actor known for his movie _Kind of a Big Deal_ , bursts through the door of her hotel room.

 

“Have you seen this?”  He holds up his phone. Open on the screen is _Celebrity Gossip Daily,_ an online magazine notorious for exposing celebrities’ most well-kept secrets.  The headline of the most popular article for today is flashing in bold at the top of the page.

 

**BEN SOLO AND REY JAKKU--KISSING?!  IS THIS REAL? CLICK AND SEE THE HOTTEST NEW TRENDING PICTURE FROM** **_MONSTER_ ** **POST-PRODUCTION PARTY!**

 

Rey’s fists clench, but Finn doesn’t seem to notice.  “What a load of bullshit, am I right?”

 

Rey forces a chuckle.  “Y-Yeah.”

 

“Let’s look at it,” Finn jokes.  “Probably doesn’t even look like you.”

 

“Yeah, probably.”  Rey’s voice is strained.   _Please let it be blurry; please let it not show my face,_ she thinks to herself.

 

Finn clicks to open the article, zooming in on the picture.   _“Damn,”_ he says, furrowing his brow, “this thing is such bad quality.  Why’d they even try to pretend it was credible? Look how dark and blurry it is!”

 

Rey laughs, relieved, as Finn shows her the picture.  “Yeah, you can’t even see our-- _their_ faces.”   _And thank God for that._

 

“I know, right?”  Finn rolls his eyes.  “What a fake article. It’s not like you two are even _friends_ \--Ben Solo is a grade-A asshole.  And nobody from Resistance even _associates_ with those FOF idiots.  I mean, seriously? They’re just a whole company of jerks.”

 

Rey smiles knowingly, glad her cover hasn’t been blown.  Finn’s talking about his own life now--when he was a teenager, First Order Films signed him on for a six-movie franchise called _Stormtrooper,_ but they abused and harassed him so much that after only one miserable year his foster parents sued FOF and, after a long legal struggle, voided his contract.

 

That was years ago, and Finn’s aged out of the foster care system now, but he still harbors resentment for FOF.  Even before he joined Resistance Entertainment, the company that he and Rey have contracts with, they and FOF had been at each other’s throats for years--ever since they were founded.  Finn wouldn’t be able to fathom why anybody from Resistance would even talk to anybody associated with FOF.

 

Which is why Rey and Ben have to stay secret.

 

* * *

 

“Solo.”

 

Ben spins, hearing his name.  When he sees who’d spoken to him, Ben glares.  Actor Armitage Hux, most widely known for his movie _Rabid Cur_ and for being supremely stuck-up and rude, is one of Ben’s most hated people at FOF.  Hux smirks, which Ben knows isn’t a good sign.

 

“Snoke wants you in his office.  Now.”

 

Ben clenches his teeth.  Andrew “Andy” S. Snoke, the CEO of FOF, is the one person Ben Solo is scared of--and for good reason.  Snoke makes it his life’s mission to belittle all his workers and all the actors that have contracts with him at every turn.  He took in Ben when Ben was still a desperate young man of twenty-one, saying that Ben had “limitless potential.” But as soon as Ben signed on to FOF, Snoke turned for the worse, lengthening Ben’s contract every chance he got and making sure there was no escape.

 

Ben _despises_ Snoke.

 

Still, he knows he has to keep his cool, especially around Hux.

 

“Thanks, _Armie,_ ” Ben sneers.

 

Hux only rolls his eyes.  “Good luck, Solo. And from the way Snoke looked, you’ll need it.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ben takes a deep breath before knocking on the door labeled **Andrew S. Snoke**.

 

_Here goes nothing._

 

“Come in,” booms Snoke’s voice from behind the closed door.

 

Ben steps in, closing the door gently behind him.  If Snoke is mad at him--which is how things usually are--he doesn’t want anybody to see.

 

“You asked to see me?”

 

Snoke gestures to the chair opposite his desk.  “Have a seat, Mr. Solo.”

 

Ben begrudgingly obliges, clenching his fists at his sides.  “What’s this meeting about?”

 

Snoke opens his laptop computer, typing something in.  “Do you think you can explain--” he turns the computer around so the glowing screen faces Ben-- “ _this?_ ”

 

Ben rolls his eyes.   _“Celebrity Gossip Daily?_  Really, Mr. Snoke?”

 

Snoke’s face is devoid of any emotion.  “Read the top headline.”

 

Ben sighs, letting his eyes travel over the bolded words at the top of the screen--but he freezes when he sees what’s been written.

 

“Is this true, Mr. Solo?”

 

“No!  Of course not.  I hardly ever even _go_ to those parties,” Ben scoffs.  “Why would I--”

 

“I’ve seen the picture, Mr. Solo.  Fortunately, it’s of low quality. It could be anyone.”

 

“I assure you, it’s fake.”

 

“Maybe.  But _I_ assure _you_ that if I ever hear again that you are ever even _speaking_ to Miss Jakku--or anybody from Resistance Entertainment, _including your mother_ \--outside of filming, I’ll be sending out a… _private investigation._  And your contract, and along with it your good reputation?   _Gone._ ”

 

Ben closes his eyes.

 

He has a bad feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all like this chapter! Hux, don't be a bully, be a buddy!
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comments :)


	3. dangerous -foreign figures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey meets Poe. Rey talks to Leia. Rey meets some cute little kids. Ben meets Phasma. Ben talks to Snoke. Ben doesn't meet any cute little kids :(

“Poe!  Long time no see!  How’s it going, buddy?”

 

Rey and Finn are sitting at a little table in a cozy café called Kanata’s, owned by Maz Kanata, a “friend of a friend” of Finn.  Finn had invited his friend Poe Dameron, a hotshot young actor known for starring in just about every recent romance movie out there, to join them for brunch.

 

“Finn!”  Poe runs up to Finn and wraps him in an enthusiastic hug.

 

Finn beams.  “Poe, this is Rey.  Rey, this is Poe,” he says, gesturing to Rey, laughing at the other end of the table.

 

“Pleased to meet you,” says Poe, offering his hand for Rey to shake.  “I’ve heard good things.”

 

Rey shakes his hand, smiling.  “So have I.”

 

“So either we’re both pretty awesome, or Finn’s just really nice,” Poe jokes.

 

Rey giggles.  “Why can’t it be both?”

 

Poe laughs too, but just as he opens his mouth to reply Rey’s phone starts to ring. She pulls it out of her purse, looking sheepish.

 

“Sorry, guys, I should probably take this.  I’ve been waiting for a call.”

 

Finn smiles.  “It’s okay, take your time.  Poe knows Maz; he’ll order something good for you.”

 

_ So that’s the friend. _  “Thanks!” Rey calls back, rushing outside.

 

She hits “Accept,” putting her phone to her ear.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hi, Rey.  This is Leia of Resistance Entertainment.”

 

Rey brightens.  Leia Organa, the CEO of Resistance, is exactly whom Rey had been hoping to get a call from.  They’ve only met a few times, but Leia’s so kind it’s been enough for her and Rey to be on a first-name basis.

 

However, Rey can’t get too close.

 

Leia happens to be Ben Solo’s mother.

 

And Ben hasn’t spoken to Leia in at least two years.

 

Rey pushes that thought away.  “Hi, Leia!” she replies cheerfully.  “Any new info on my audition?” A couple of months ago, Rey had had an audition for the protagonist of a new movie called  _ Ren. _  Having been written by a wildly successful director, Kaydel Ko Connix, the movie is expected to be a big hit.

 

“Actually, that’s why I was calling,” Leia replies.  Rey can hear the smile in the older woman’s voice as she adds, “You sitting down?”

 

Rey sits down on a bench next to a little brown-haired boy wearing a T-shirt with a horse on it.  “Now I am.” At the sound of Rey’s voice, the boy looks up with big eyes and runs off to his friends, another boy clutching two action figures in his small hands and a girl with curly red pigtails.

 

“Oniho!  Arashell!” whisper-yells the first boy, pointing at Rey.  “Look!”

 

Rey laughs.

 

“Okay, good,” says Leia, oblivious to the exchange that just occurred.  “So… you got the part!”

 

Rey stands up, putting a hand over her mouth.  “Oh my God! Really?” she shrieks.

 

“Of course!” exclaims Leia, sounding delighted.  “You’ll be playing Kira--this is a really big part; I knew you could do it.”

 

“Thank you,” replies Rey, beaming.  “Do you know who’ll be playing Kylo?”

 

“Nope.  They wouldn’t tell me.  I do know that Finn got the part of King Bail, though.  I was going to call him next.”

 

Rey giggles, excited.  “Can I tell him?”

 

“Sure.”  Leia laughs.  “Well, I gotta go now, but I’ll shoot you an email with the filming schedule draft as soon as I get the chance.”

 

“Thanks!”

 

As soon as Rey turns off her phone and starts to go inside, she feels a tug on her shirt.  Turning, she sees the little red-haired girl--Arashell--with her two friends closely in tow.

 

“Ex-cuse me?” asks Arashell, shuffling her pink sneakers on the ground.  “C-can my friends and I--can we get your autograph?”

 

Rey grins.  “Of course.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey,  _ Armie _ .”

 

“Be quiet, Solo.”

 

Hux and Ben have both been called to a meeting in Snoke’s office, along with a new FOF actress named Gwendoline Phasma.

 

“Will both of you shut up and stop stalling?” Gwen gripes, running a hand through her short blonde hair.  “I have to be home at 6, so can one of you--since you’re both conveniently blocking the door--just knock already?”

 

“Fine,” growls Hux, knocking as he gives Ben one last glare.

 

Snoke opens the door.  “Come in,” he purrs, obviously trying to impress Gwen.  She only rolls her eyes as she steps past the three men into the room.

 

_ How can he be so menacing even when he’s pretending to be nice?  _ Ben wonders, but decides to drop the thought.

 

“So,” begins Snoke.

 

Gwen raises one perfect eyebrow.  “So.”

 

Snoke sits down, folding his hands on his desk.  “I assume you’re all wondering why you’re here.”

 

Ben bites back a bored groan, and next to him Hux sits up straighter, probably in hopes of looking more focused than Ben and Gwen.

 

_ What a team we make. _

 

“Would you be so kind as to tell us?” Gwen quips, mimicking Snoke’s flowery tone.

 

Snoke’s right eye twitches.  “Very well. All three of you auditioned for characters in the upcoming movie  _ Ren _ , am I correct?”

 

Amid the murmurs of affirmation, now it’s Ben who sits up straighter.  Ever since seeing the audition script, he’s wanted desperately to play Kylo Ren, the antagonist of the story.  Never has a character felt more deeply like  _ him _ .  If he doesn’t get the part--well, he doesn’t know what he’d do, but it probably wouldn’t be good.

 

So he listens more closely, hoping for Snoke to tell him if he’s gotten the part.

 

“Did we get them?”  Gwen sounds extremely bored as she leans back in her chair.  Her obvious disrespect for Snoke and Snoke’s reaction would be hilarious to Ben on any other day, but now he agrees with Gwen-- _ just get on with it already, Snoke _ .

 

Snoke smiles, obviously in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his anger at Gwen.  “Miss Phasma. Mr. Hux. You’re two of the Knights of Ren.”

 

Gwen stands up, stretching.  “So I can leave now, right?”

 

Snoke looks almost relieved to see her go.  “Mr. Hux, you too. I would like to talk in private with Mr. Solo.”

 

Hux nods and stands up, leaving the office.

 

As soon as the door closes, Snoke turns to Ben, all traces of his anger gone and replaced with only cold calculation.  “Mr. Solo.”

 

“Did I not get the part?”

 

“You did.”

 

Ben grins so widely his face hurts.  “Really?”

 

Snoke doesn’t react to Ben’s outburst.  “I’d like to talk to you about something.”

 

Ben holds back a sigh.  “Yes?”

 

“You know Kylo Ren’s story, I assume.”

 

Ben nods.  “Yes. Well, at least most of it.  He’s a rogue knight of the king who runs away with a few others and creates the Knights of Ren after almost being killed by one of his former friends.  He periodically wreaks havoc on the kingdom in an attempt to get revenge on the king for not convicting the other knight, and one day he kills the knight but then is attacked by the protagonist--”

 

“Enlightening.”  Snoke doesn’t seem to have been listening.  “Do you know who Kira is?”

 

“The protagonist.”

 

“More.”

 

Ben bites his lip, trying to remember.  “She’s a village orphan who gets caught up in one of the battles and fights off one of the Knights of Ren.  The king recruits her to train to be a knight, and she excels immediately. When Kylo kills the knight that tried to kill him--”

 

“Let me speed things up.  You know that Kira and Kylo eventually…  _ fall in love _ \--” Snoke’s face twists into an expression of pure disgust-- “correct?”

 

Ben nods, irritated.

 

Snoke leans in as if he’s about to share a secret--or a threat, Ben can’t tell which.  “I know who plays Kira,” he stage-whispers.

 

“Who?”

 

Snoke wrinkles his nose.  “Miss Jakku.”

 

Ben bites his tongue to stop himself from smiling.   _ I have to congratulate her, _ he thinks, but doesn't say it out loud.  “Really?” he asks, trying to appear disinterested.

 

“Yes,” Snoke replies disdainfully.  “Who knows why they chose her, of all people, but you’re going to have to make it work.  And you are  _ not _ to speak to her outside of filming, especially not alone.”

 

Suddenly, Snoke’s phone starts to ring, and he glances at the Caller ID before quickly shielding his screen from sight.

 

“Have I made myself clear?” he asks, and Ben nods.

 

“Yes, Mr. Snoke.”

 

“Now go.”

 

“Of course.”

  
_ Shit _ , thinks Ben as he closes the office door behind him.   _ This is going to be hard. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave comments and kudos! :)


	4. nervous -shawn mendes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben meet Paige. Hux bumps into a sketchy figure.

The table read for the script happens a few weeks after casting.  Rey shows up early--it’s always worth it to make a good impression--and she blushes when she sees Ben walking in right behind her.

 

She waves shyly, not sure if she should talk to him.  Ben does the tiniest shake of his head. _Later_ , he mouths, and Rey nods, giving him a small smile.

 

Rey and Ben walk into the lobby of the Resistance building.  Rey steps up to the front desk.

 

“Hi, we’re here for--”

 

“Oh my God!  Rey Jakku? And _Ben Solo?_  I’m such a big fan!”  The receptionist, a tall woman with black hair and a nametag reading “Paige,” seems tremendously enthusiastic about seeing them.  “You’re here for the _Ren_ table read, right?”

 

“Yep, that’s us!”  Rey laughs. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”

 

Paige grins.  “Upstairs and to the left--room 203.  My sister’s in that movie; she's really good.  Her name’s Rose.”

 

“Ooh, Rose Tico?” asks Rey.  “I saw her newest movie--it was so awesome!  I cried,” she adds sheepishly, laughing.

 

“That’s her!”  Paige smiles. “Tell her I say hi?”

 

Rey gives her a thumbs-up.  “Will do. Thanks!”

 

As she and Ben walk upstairs, he turns to her.  “She talked _so_ much,” he complained.

 

Rey giggles softly.  “Aw, stop whining. Just ‘cause you’re always grumpy doesn’t mean other people can’t actually have fun lives.”  She sticks out her tongue at him, and he swats her arm, laughing.

 

* * *

 

 

Downstairs, Hux walks in just in time to collide with someone running out the door, shoving a camera into their bag.  “Watch it!” he shouts, but they’re already in the parking lot. He rolls his eyes. “What an idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aah sorry for such a short chapter there really wasn't a way to add more and still have this chapter not be like a million pages long
> 
> Don't forget to comment and leave kudos :)


	5. figure me out -the summer set

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The table read for _Ren_ goes, well... not exactly as planned. Hux is a jerk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!! I wrote a long chapter to make up for it ;-;

It’s about halfway into the table read when one of the actors, Dopheld Mitaka, gets an emergency phone call.

 

“I’m so sorry; I have to leave,” he says regretfully.  “My wife just called from the hospital; she got in a crash.  I’m sorry!”

 

“It’s okay,” calls Kaydel Ko Connix, the director, and Dopheld gives an apologetic smile as he rushes through the door.

 

Rose Tico, the actress mentioned by Paige, fidgets nervously with her golden necklace.  “Oh, I hope his wife is okay.”

 

“Why don’t we  _ get back to work? _ ” hisses Hux.  Rose glowers at him.

 

Kayden shrugs.  “Okay. The next scene without Sir Besh--” she starts, referring to the character played by Dopheld-- “is page 394.  The proposal.”

 

“ _ Proposal? _  I really don’t think--”  Hux’s skeptical comment is cut off by Ben rolling his eyes.

 

“She wrote it, didn’t she?”

 

Hux glares.  “I  _ suppose _ so.”

 

“Okay,” says Kaydel a bit too loudly.  “Kylo? You start.”

 

“ _ Kira. _ ”  Ben’s voice is soft but filled with emotion.

 

“Kylo!” yells Rey is response.  She takes a deep breath. “There’s still time to--to save the kingdom!  Just call off your attack!”

 

A moment of silence.  Rey glances back down at her script.

 

“Kylo,  _ please _ .  There’s still time--”

 

“Kira.”  Ben’s voice is soft but intense as he looks back down at his script.

 

“Kylo?”

 

“Let it all burn.”  Ben flips a page in his script.  “Let the past die. All of it. The kingdom.  The nobles. The knights. Let them all burn.”

 

“Kylo.”  Rey makes her voice go soft.  “Kylo, please--don’t go this way.”

 

“Join me.”

 

“I--I--”

 

Abruptly, Rey’s voice is cut off by the ringing of Kaydel’s phone.  She jumps, pulled from the intensity of the scene back into the real world of the room and the actors.

 

“That was awesome!” Poe and Finn cheer as Kaydel silences her phone, and Rey grins at her friends.

 

Ben stays silent.

 

“Sorry about that,” says Kaydel.  “But I agree, guys; that  _ was _ pretty awesome.  Keep going! I won’t bother you again.”

 

Gwen rolls her eyes from the back of the room.  “Hey, Connix. That scene is literally just  _ pages _ of those two.  How long are we gonna be doing this for?  It’s getting kinda boring.”

 

Kaydel shrugs, looking a bit disappointed.  “I mean… I guess? Ben and Rey have to learn their lines too, but if it’s trouble…”

 

Hux sits up.  “Good. The coup scene, then?”

 

“...sure.”

 

Rey can tell that from Kaydel’s expression that she’d been really excited to go over the proposal scene.  She’s torn--should she stick up for Kaydel? Should she just stay quiet for the fear of sounding selfish?

 

She sighs, choosing the latter.  Kaydel’s made her decision, and Rey has to respect that, even if it doesn’t feel exactly right.  Plus, she doesn’t want to start an argument on the first day; that wouldn’t go over well in any situation.

 

She doesn’t have a line for the next few pages of script, so Rey sits back, observing.  The “coup scene” Hux referred to is between three characters, which are Kylo, Sir Brendol Maratelle, and Lady Siv Scyre--Ben, Hux, and Gwen’s characters, respectively.  Brendol and Siv, Kylo’s two most trusted Knights of Ren, attempt to take over Kylo’s role as leader by killing him in his sleep. Fortunately--or unfortunately, Rey supposes, depending on perspective--Kylo wakes up just before the final blow.

 

“You’re actually doing this.”

 

Kaydel shakes her head.  “More emotion, please, Ben.”

 

Ben looks back down at his script.  “You’re  _ actually doing this _ .”

 

“...still not quite right, sorry.”

 

Ben furrows his brow, going over the words.  “How is it supposed to be said?”

 

“Well, that’s a bit more up to you,” Kaydel replies, smiling, “but I can tell you how Kylo’s supposed to be feeling right now.”

 

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

 

“Okay.”  Kaydel glances down at her copy of the script.  “Kylo… he’s just woken up to see two of his most trusted knights standing over him with weapons.  How would  _ you _ feel?”

 

Ben pauses.  “Well… betrayed.”

 

“Right.  And he knows what they’re trying to do, which could make that feeling worse.  But he’s still trying to keep his cool. He’s trying to be nonchalant, trying to give off the message that he can and will fight back if necessary.  He’s giving them that chance to stand down, to admit their mistake, in a way. But there’s still that element of betrayal there, that layer of ‘I trusted you, how could you do this to me?’  Which is why that façade doesn’t really work. So there needs to be that depth of emotion there. You need to convey his thoughts.”

 

Ben nods, concentrating.  “You’re actually doing this,” he repeats.

 

Kaydel perks up.  “That’s a little better--can we try that scene again?  From the top?”

 

From the back of the room, Hux groans.  “Isn’t this a job better suited to an  _ acting coach?” _

 

Ben’s face reddens, though whether it’s from anger or embarrassment Rey can’t tell.

 

Kaydel stiffens.  “You know what? Why don’t we just take a break?  We can finish the script tomorrow with whoever happens to still be in town.”

 

Gwen stands up, grabbing her silver purse and starting for the door.  “Sounds good to me.”

 

The rest of the actors begin to file out, Finn and Poe waving goodbye to Rey.  Rey looks at Ben, who’s sitting in his chair in the corner with his head in his hands.

 

“Ben?” she asks softly, going over to sit next to him.  They’re the only two people in the room now. She places a gentle hand on Ben’s arm.  “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.”  Ben’s voice is so quiet Rey can barely hear his reply.  A moment of silence passes between them before Ben sighs and leans back, looking at Rey with hurt in his dark brown eyes.  “Maybe I should get acting lessons.”

 

Rey places her hand on Ben’s, squeezing it reassuringly.  “It was just one line. Nobody’s perfect; it just takes practice.  And besides, Armitage doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And neither does Gwen, for that matter.  They’re just dickheads trying to get on your nerves.”

 

“Whoa,” says Ben, chucking softly.  “Language.”

 

Rey blushes.  “Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay.”  Ben squeezes Rey’s hand back.  “Thank you.”

 

Rey smiles softly, leaning over to give him a light peck on the cheek.  “Of course.”


	6. this feeling -the chainsmokers, kelsea ballerini

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben swears a lot. Finnrose!* Rey is in trouble.
> 
> *I adore Finnrose; it is amazing and my second ST OTP behind Reylo

“Fuck.  Shit.” Ben curses as he slams his phone down on the table.  Heads turn, as he’s in the middle of a bustling coffee shop, but Ben doesn’t care.

 

**ARE REY JAKKU AND BEN SOLO DATING?  UPDATE: NEW PICTURE FROM** **_REN_ ** **TABLE READ!  100% NOT CLICKBAIT!**

 

The “picture” provided in the article is one of them both smiling, Rey’s hand on Ben’s arm.  And, of course, this picture, unlike the other, is clear as day.  _ How am I going to explain this to Snoke? _

 

As if on cue, Ben’s phone starts to ring.  He picks it up, groaning, and doesn’t even bother checking the caller ID before hitting “Accept” and putting it to his ear.

 

“Look, I know what it looks like--”

 

“My reputation as CEO of First Order Films is being compromised, Mr. Solo!”

 

Ben winces and hold the phone away from his ear as Snoke screeches.

 

“You’d better have a  _ very good  _ explanation for this!”

 

“Okay, I’ll explain--”

 

“No!”  Snoke’s voice is sharp, and Ben cringes.  “You have  _ two _ more chances.”

 

“But the first one was fake!” Ben lies.

 

“Two.  Chances.  Or I pull you out of  _ Ren. _ ”

 

Ben pales.  “You… you can’t do that.”

 

“Oh, I’ll find a way.”

 

Snoke hangs up before Ben can even open his mouth to reply.

 

_ How am I going to do this? _

 

* * *

 

“Wow, this food is  _ so _ good,” marvels Finn as he digs into his plate of chicken.

 

Rey and Poe nod in agreement, both of their mouths full of food.  Rey chuckles to herself--she and Poe might just have met, but their eating habits are nearly identical.

 

As Rey’s shoveling another heaping forkful into her mouth, Finn’s phone dings with a text notification.

 

“Who is it?” asks Poe.

 

Finn takes out his phone.  “Oh, it’s just Rose,” he says.

 

Rey grins.  “Ooh,  _ Rose? _ ”

 

Finn holds up his hands, looking embarrassed.  “Hey, hey, hey, she and I are just friends, ‘kay?”

 

Poe waggles his eyebrows, sharing a glance with Rey.  “ _ Sure _ .”

 

“C’mon guys, seriously--whoa.”

 

Rey leans over.  “What is it?”

 

“Rey, I--” Finn holds up his screen to show Rey the top article from  _ Celebrity Gossip Daily _ .  “This is real, right?  Or am I just seeing things?”

 

A strangled sound escapes Rey’s throat as she looks at the screen of Finn’s phone.  “I… uh. We were just talking, I swear!”

 

Poe’s eyes widen.  “Rey, he’s the face of First Order!  This could ruin Leia’s reputation, not to mention Resistance’s!”

 

“I’m sorry!  I just didn’t want to be rude, so we just made some small talk, and some idiot paparazzi thought it was something else.”

 

Finn looks betrayed, and Rey feels horrible.  She knows how much he hates FOF. “Just… try not to let it happen again, okay?  Articles like this are…”

 

“I know.”  Rey’s voice is quiet.  “I’m sorry,” she repeats.

 

Poe grins.  “Great. We good?”

 

Finn smiles.  “We’re good.”

 

Rey throws her arm around Finn’s shoulders and gives him a light squeeze, but no amount of fake happiness can quell the sinking feeling in her stomach.

 

_ Was even the one thing we share, this movie, designed to keep us apart? _


	7. empty cups -charlie puth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben do some filming for _Ren,_ and then they go on a long-awaited date (well, kinda).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY Y'ALL I'M SO FRICCIN SORRY FOR THE LONG UPDATE I _CANNOT_ WRITE ACTION SCENES SO THIS TOOK ME A REALLY REALLY LONG TIME; HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT!!

“And… cut!”  Kaydel smiles proudly.  “That was amazing, Rey.”

 

Rey grins, flexing her muscles.  “I do love a good fight scene.”

 

Finn laughs, walking up behind her.   _ “Kira,” _ he says exaggeratedly.  “My  _ savior.” _

 

“I could fight you too, you know,” jokes Rey, lifting up her quarterstaff.  “Don’t test me.”

 

Finn puts up his hands, taking a step back.  “Hey, hey,” he says, “probably not a good time to be antagonizing the king of Coruscant, you know.”

 

Kaydel steps in, a smile on her face.  “Okay, okay, break it up, you two. We’re going to shoot Kes’ death scene now--we need you, Kira.  Finn, go take a break, okay?”

 

Finn nods and gives Rey a thumbs-up and a grin before walking off.   _ He’s probably gonna go talk to Rose, _ Rey thinks, and giggles to herself.

 

She fiddles with the end of her quarterstaff, excited.  Ben’s in this scene, and she hasn’t seen him in a long time.

 

She grins as Ben walks over.  He glances over her, a small smile on his lips.  His nod is so small it’s nearly imperceptible.  _ We’ll talk later,  _ he mouths.  She smiles back.

 

“Places!” yells one of the cameramen, and Rey quickly rushes off the set.  Her character doesn’t show up until halfway through the scene, so she has to make sure she’s not disturbing Ben and Poe, who plays a character named Sir Kes Bey.

 

She closes her eyes, trying to get in focus to be in-character, but the excitement of the scene and the excitement of  _ Ben _ win her over, and she walks over behind one of the cameramen to watch.

 

Poe steps up to the front of the set, holding a realistic-looking sword loosely in his right hand.  Sir Kes shows up first in this scene. Other actors are gathered behind him, all wearing knight costumes--Rey doesn’t know their names as they’re either minor characters or extras, but she loves this scene, so she pays close attention.

 

“And… action!” calls one of the cameramen, and Poe immediately snaps into character.

 

Sheathing his sword in the belt on his costume, Poe nods at one of the other actors.  He plays a character named Sir Temmin “Snap” Wexley. Rey rather likes his character, although it’s a small part.

 

“Snap,” Poe says.

 

The other man sheaths his sword in turn.  “Are we done for the day?”

 

“Yes.  Retire to your quarters immediately.  Although… Seastriker?”

 

The one child actor, a blond teenage boy playing a knight named Joph Seastriker, turns to look at Poe.  “Yes, Sir Bey?”

 

“Go get Kira.”

 

He nods.  “Yes, Sir Bey.”  He dashes off.

 

Poe pauses, now alone on set.  The cameras’ focus shifts as he paces around the room and back, as if in contemplation.

 

There’s a moment of silence.

 

The door slams open.

 

Poe doesn’t move as Ben stalks in, fully in his dark costume with a shiny sword gripped tightly in his gloved hand.

 

“Kes,” he spits.

 

Poe stays still.

 

“Kylo Ren.”

 

Ben brandishes his sword, holding it out in front of him as one would a flashlight in the dark, but much more aggressively.  “Have you been  _ waiting _ for this?” he yells.

 

“It’d be foolish to lie.”

 

Ben lowers his sword, coming closer.  “So you have.”

 

Poe still doesn’t turn, but he places his hand on the sword at his hip.

 

“I know what--or rather,  _ who _ \--you’re here for.  You’re not getting her.”

 

Ben growls.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.  I’m here to kill you, Kes Bey. I don’t need any of your  _ weak _ recruits.  I could best them all in my sleep.”

 

Poe looks up, surprise flickering across his face.  “So you haven’t heard?”

 

Ben lunges forward.   _ “Quiet! _  Stop trying to fool me with your idiotic lies.  I’m here to fight! And I’m here to  _ win!” _

 

Poe raises his sword, and the fight begins.  It lasts a long time, with more interruptions from the fight choreographer, a man named Sheev, than Rey can count.  About two and a half hours later, she’s about to sneak away to get a quick snack from the food table when Kaydel calls her name.

 

_ Damn. _

 

She walks back onto set, waiting for her cue.  Sheev nods at her, and she steps into the scene.

 

She takes a breath.

 

“Sir Kes?” she calls out, still off-screen.  “Joph told me that you--”

 

She looks into the room now, and her eyes go wide.  Poe’s kneeling on the floor, his back pressed up against the wall and his hands pinned by the tips of the two swords Ben’s holding--his and Poe’s.  The swords cross at his neck--one swipe, and he’d be dead.

 

Well, if the swords were real.

 

“Kes!” yells Rey, unsheathing her own sword.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Sheev mouthing  _ Do it! _ to Ben.  Before she can move, Ben swipes the swords together against Poe’s neck.

 

“Cut!” yells one of the cameramen.  Poe stands up, the easy grin back on his face.  Ben looks at him, wiping sweat from his own forehead, but Poe ignores his glance.

 

“Nice job, Rey!” exclaims Poe, clapping her on the back.  “Whoo, so glad I can finally get out of this costume; it’s so  _ suffocating _ on the--”

 

“I get it,” replies Rey, rolling her eyes.  “You did great, Poe. That sword-fight was pretty epic.”

 

Poe chuckles.  “If only Kes didn’t die--I’d be in so many more sword-fights.  Nothing like an old-fashioned violent duel to cleanse the soul.”

 

Rey opens her mouth to reply, but just at that moment Kaydel walks over.  She puts a hand on Poe’s shoulder, gently guiding him away. “Hey, no time for chit-chat.  Kira’s gotta fight Kylo.”

 

“Sorry,” apologizes Poe, walking away.  “Good luck, Rey,” he calls out, and she smiles.

 

Kaydel puts her hand on Rey’s arm.  “You ready?” she asks.

 

Rey nods.  “Whenever you are!”

 

Kaydel laughs.  “Now that’s what I like to hear!”  She walks off to share a few quick words with Ben as one of the set designers places a large dummy on the floor to represent the dead body of Kes, probably so Rey and Ben don’t step on the CGI “corpse” while they’re fighting.

 

“Three… two… one… action!” yells a cameraman.

 

Rey hefts her quarterstaff, willing tears to come to her eyes.  “W--who  _ are _ you?” she breathes, her voice shaking with anger.

 

“I am Kylo Ren,” replies Ben, his dark eyes trained on hers.

 

It’s like they’re moving in slow motion, pacing around each other like fighting dogs deciding where to strike.

 

Breaking the stillness, Rey lunges forward, the end of her staff pointed straight at Ben’s ribs.  Seemingly effortlessly, he flips it out of her hands using Poe’s sword. She growls as both weapons skid across the floor, her staff landing too far away for her to reach.

 

She leaps back, picking up Poe’s sword from the ground.  She lunges forward again, jabbing Ben in the side. He dodges, pushing her away with his own sword.  She glowers at him and tries again, but every time it’s the same.

 

“You’re a  _ monster,” _ she hisses.

 

Ben doesn’t reply.  Rey knows how this scene is supposed to go--Kira doesn’t know how to fight with a sword, only a staff, so she’s been thrown off-rhythm by Kylo.  So, as the scene progresses, she lets Ben overtake her, but makes sure her eye is on him, watching his moves like a hawk, picking up on his fighting style.

 

But--after a few interruptions by Sheev, during one of which Ben has to explain, mildly flustered, that he’s  _ literally incapable of doing a 920-degree spin  _ and  _ why would you even expect me to be able to do that _ and Sheev actually does it himself, leaving Ben even more flustered and completely in shock--Ben quickly overtakes her.

 

He pushes her back against the wall.  Rey holds her sword in place, making sure not to let his get closer.

 

They’re locked in position.  Frozen still.

 

“You need a teacher!” Ben cries, his face inches from hers.  “I can show you how to be a knight!”

 

Rey closes her eyes for a long moment.

 

When she opens them, she growls and pushes back against Ben’s sword.

 

His eyes widen, and he makes a move to fight back, but Rey flips his sword out of his hand like he’d done to her quarterstaff and shoves him to the ground.  He groans in fake pain, reaching for his sword, but Rey doesn’t stop slashing at him.

 

Sheev’s eyes are a little too bright as he sits on the edge of his seat, pressing his hands together.   _ Either he’s proud of us for doing it right, or he just likes watching people fight,  _ Rey muses.

 

She smiles to herself.

 

_ Probably both. _

 

“Cut!” yells Kaydel.  She walks over excitedly.  “That was absolutely amazing!  You two have a real talent when working together,” she remarks.  Rey grins.

 

As soon as Kaydel lets the people filming off on break and Rey and Ben are alone on set, she reaches up to give him a quick kiss.  “You were amazing,” she murmurs.

 

Ben smiles, pulling her close.  “You too.”

 

Rey bites her lip, pulling away.  “Do you… do you want to maybe… go somewhere?  Tonight? Like as a date? We haven’t done that in awhile, and I just thought…”

 

“Well, it’d have to be somewhere private,” says Ben.

 

Rey’s face falls.  “Oh, yeah. I hadn’t thought of that.”

 

Ben squeezes her shoulder.  “Hey, it’s okay! You can come to my hotel room.  We can order takeout, or something.”

 

Rey grins.  “It’s a date.”

 

* * *

 

Ben orders a pizza.  Large. Rey’s eyes go wide when she sees the food, even though she’s a celebrity with all the money she could ever want.

 

Ben knows why, of course--she’s told him about her old life.  She was an orphan, found on the streets and taken in by a foster care service.  She bounced around homes until age 18, never finding a “forever family”--not that she was sure she wanted one.  That’s when she met Finn. They shared a foster home for 8 months when Rey was 16, and ever since then they agreed to keep in touch.

 

Now, of course, they’re rich and famous.  Ben finds it odd, that life works this way.  He shrugs, and moves a little closer to Rey, who’s piled three slices of pizza on her plate and is currently trying to pull out a fourth but is getting her fingers tangled in strands of cheese.

 

He leans down to give her a kiss before using his knife to cut it out for her.  “Don’t use your hands,” he says jokingly, and Rey pouts.

 

“But it’s more fun this way!” she protests, and Ben laughs, putting an arm around her shoulders as she dangles the pizza into her mouth.

 

He’s cutting out his own slice when Rey pauses, putting hers back down on her plate.  She looks at him, her eyes soft.

 

“I miss this.”

 

Ben looks down.  “Me too.”

 

“I just… I’d say I wish we could do this more.”  Her eyes are downcast. “But I know we can’t.”

 

“I know.”

 

Rey leans her head on his shoulder.  “I love you,” she whispers.

 

Ben kisses the top of her head.  “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment if you noticed the prequel memes lmao
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos; I love them almost as much as Rey loves pizza, Sheev loves fighting, and Ben loves Rey!


	8. eyes open -taylor swift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayy here comes the angst train choo choo
> 
> When you get "I miss you" and "--someday," just remember, for the future, that it will be angsty. (I'd love for somebody to prove me right or wrong with an example, because I need more Reylo fic to read.)

It’s another week and a half before Rey and Ben can see each other again.  They don’t even get to say hi, but their quick looks throughout the day say it all.

 

_ I miss you. _

 

Ben types the words into his phone, in the Notes app.  He’d be foolish to send Rey a text--he’s pretty sure she doesn’t even have his number saved in her phone.

 

He knows he doesn’t have her in his contacts, but hidden away in his wallet is a little yellow Post-It with her phone number written on it.

 

“--someday,” she’d written.

 

He hopes that day comes soon.

 

He looks around at his empty hotel room.  If he closes his eyes, he can still see Rey sitting there next to him, eating her pizza and laughing.

 

He knows it isn’t real.  Rey left that day and didn’t come back.

 

He closes his eyes anyway.

 

His phone vibrates in his pocket, interrupting his train of thought.  He pulls it out.  _ A text, _ he thinks as he unlocks his phone.   _ Ugh, I hope it’s not from Snoke. _

 

It’s from Snoke.

 

“Speak of the devil,” he groans, reading the text.  It’s a link to some sort of article, with two words underneath:

 

“Call me.”

 

Ben shivers, opening the article.  It takes a moment to load, but he only needs to read the headline before a sweat starts to break out on his face.

 

**_EXCLUSIVE_ ** **INTERVIEW FROM** **_CELEBRITY GOSSIP DAILY_ ** **!  REY JAKKU SIGHTED ENTERING HOTEL TAKODANA WHILE BEN SOLO WAS STAYING THERE!  CLICK TO READ MORE!**

 

“Shit,” says Ben out loud to the emptiness of his hotel room.  “Shit, shit, shit, fuck. Shit.”

 

He sighs.

 

“Guess I’d better call Snoke.”

 

He picks up on the second ring.  Ben doesn’t give him the chance to speak.

 

“I know I only have one chance left,” he says quickly.  He can hear Snoke’s exasperated sigh on the other end. “I’ll end it.”

 

Ben pauses.  He closes his eyes again.

 

_ It’s for Rey,  _ he repeats to himself. _  The movie  _ can’t _ get canceled just because Kylo’s getting pushed out.  She loves it too much to not see herself in it. _

 

Ben opens his eyes.

 

“You have my word.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry y'all but this was inevitable


	9. cold -maroon 5, future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but I can't believe I hit 50 subscriptions ~~and 69 kudos~~ on this fic! Thank you all so much!! :D

Rey gets a call from an unfamiliar number.  She’s bored, so-- _ what the hell-- _ she picks it up.  “Hello?”

 

There’s a pause.  “H--hi. Rey.”

 

“Ben?  I thought I told you not to call me.”

 

“Y--yeah.  I. I… can we talk?  We need to talk.”

 

“O--oh.  Okay. Sure.”  Rey bites her lip.  “What do we need to talk about?”

 

Ben doesn’t answer.  A silence passes. Rey opens her mouth to ask him again when he finally speaks.

 

“I can’t do this anymore.”  His voice is so soft and hesitant Rey thinks she might have misheard him, but she knows what she heard is true.

 

“You… you’re breaking up with me.”  She wants to laugh out loud from the absurdity of it all.  “At three o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. You’re breaking up with me.”  Rey stands up, pauses, and sits back down, resting her forehead on her hand.  “Over the phone.”

 

“I--I’m--”

 

“Don’t bother.”

 

She ends the call before he can speak, tears pricking her light brown eyes.

 

_ I can’t even talk to Finn, _ she realizes.   _ None of my friends know. _

 

_ And I still have to keep it that way. _

 

* * *

She takes a deep breath before entering the restaurant.  It’s small and holed-in, so the chance of her being recognized is slim to none, especially with different makeup, fake glasses, and casual clothing.

_ Nobody here will see you, _ she reminds herself.   _ You’re just here to meet Finn, Rose, and Poe for a quick dinner.  You can play it cool for just an hour, or two, or three. _

_ You got this. _

She steps inside, feeling a rush of cool air.

_ I don’t got this. _

Quickly making to adjust her glasses, she swipes at her eyes, making sure no tears are leaking down her face again.  She straightens her back, walking confidently to her friends.

“Hey!” says Finn, grabbing Rey by the hand.  “Come on, we’re all over here!”

Rey swallows before following him back to his table.  Rose and Poe are already there, chattering excitedly about something or other.  Rose looks up, waving and smiling.

"Hey, Rey!" she exclaims as Rey sits down next to her and Finn takes a seat next to Poe, across from them.  "What's new?"

Rey shrugs, biting her tongue to try to stop the inevitable burst of tears.  "Nothing much," she says softly. "How about you?"

Rose looks at Rey a bit confusedly but doesn't bring up anything.  "Same as you," she replies, "but Kaydel said there's been a little bit of a delay in the filming schedule--she told me to tell you.  Somebody didn't deliver the right props or something; I'm not a hundred percent sure what exactly happened."

"I heard it was that one of the minor actors got sick," Poe pipes up.

"No, wait, wasn't it one of the major actors?" asks Finn.  "Probably Hux. I heard him complaining about some sort of stomach ache to the makeup people."

"Oh, yeah true," says Poe.

Rey subconsciously clutches her own stomach, feeling unsettled.   _ I wonder if I could call in sick for a day or two, _ she thinks.  But then her friends would show up to make sure she's okay.

All she wants to do is curl up on her bed and cry.  "You  _ loved _ me," she whispers under her breath.

Poe cocks his head.  "Sorry, what was that?"

Rey shakes her head, feeling tears start to come to her eyes behind her fake glasses.  She moves to adjust them, discreetly covering her eyes. "I was--I was just talking to myself.  Uh, I have to--I have to--I have to go to the bathroom," she stammers, and just about sprints to the back of the restaurant.

Locking the door behind her-- _ thank _ God  _ there are private bathrooms here _ \--Rey slumps against the wall, flinging off her glasses and burying her face in her hands.  Tears stream down her cheeks, smearing her makeup all over her face and hands. She falls to the floor, leaning on the wall and crying softly, hugging her knees to her chest.

There's a soft knock on the door.  "Rey?" asks a quiet voice. It's Rose.

Rey freezes, silent.

"Rey, I saw you go in here.  You were crying. Can you open the door?"

Slowly, Rey reaches up and unlocks the door with a  _ click. _  Rose opens it, locking it behind them.  She squats down next to Rey.

"Are you okay?"

Rey shakes her head, not looking up.

Rose puts an arm around Rey's shoulders.  "What's wrong?"

"I can't tell you," comes Rey's muffled voice.

Rose nods.  "Let me help you get cleaned up, anyway."

Rey lifts her head, slowly, and Rose chokes back a startled giggle when she sees how much Rey's smeared her makeup.  "Sorry--" she starts to say, but Rey's cracked a small smile too. Pretty soon, both of them are laughing loudly, Rey sniffling back tears, as Rose helps her clean up her makeup with tissues from her purse.

"Thank you," whispers Rey, hugging Rose.

Rose squeezes back.  "You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> h a h a  
> s o r r y  
> y ' a l l

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Reylo AU fic, so please go easy on me, lol
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comments! Appreciation is to me what food is to Rey :)


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